The feast we celebrate today – the conversion of Saint Paul – clearly demonstrates who is in charge and who is not! God the Father is in charge and we are not: none of us – including Saul of Tarsus.
In the telling of this familiar story, what we may not see is that in the early life of Saul, God was preparing him in many ways to be his Apostle to the Gentiles: the one he had chosen for this task for the variety of reasons that he himself alone knew. We may not see how Saul resisted being formed and shaped by God into a follower of Jesus his Son! We may not see that it took all of Saul's effort to try and dismiss the whole idea from his mind and heart – until – that day on the road to Damascus.
On that day of days in Saul's life – the God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit made themselves unmistakably known to the militant anti-Christian young man – and disabled him – stopping him in his tracks literally – and making known the only plan that Saul could approve – be baptized and have your sins washed away calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus – because I want you to be my witness before all the world. Saul – baptized Paul – was certainly free to either obey or not – but this scenario gives us another lesson – we are truly and only free to do what God wants us to do – and so Paul makes a decision and freely and voluntarily gives his will and his life to God – and he is transformed forever!
Paul becomes one with the Twelve – by the design of God. He with Peter, becomes the foundation of the Church! And the Church is now on its way to becoming the sign and sacrament of God the Father's love in the world for all ages! The contributions of Paul as preacher and writer of letters to the early Christian communities is astounding. His works were so inspired that they became part of the Bible – one can't get more inspired than that!
Paul's one great message was to proclaim joyfully the Cross of Christ Crucified – from this comes our life and our salvation!
Thank you Paul for accepting the offer of conversion that was made to you by God – may we be faithful to our own conversion and turning to God the Father – and renew it at this Mass – and in all the hours of this day!
Go out to all the world and tell the Good News!
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